


Can We Really Pull This Off?

by codex213



Category: Raven's Home (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:53:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22066576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codex213/pseuds/codex213
Summary: Chelsea lets Principal Wentworth assume her and Raven are together.
Relationships: Raven Baxter/Chelsea Daniels
Comments: 39
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney. 
> 
> I have no idea if this will be more than a one-shot. It definitely has the potential to be, but it can also stand alone....so I'm leaving it up to you guys. If enough people want more, I will continue it. I have plenty of ideas for it, so that definitely isn't an issue. ANYWAYS, enjoy!

“Raven? I have to talk to you about something,” Chelsea Daniels said, putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. Her back was turned to the redhead, btu she could still feel the brunette’s energy shift. 

Clearing her throat, the designer leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen, waiting to hear what the redhead had done this time. “What-what’d you do, Chels?” she asked. 

“Well…” Chelsea hedged, taking her time closing the dishwasher door. Sighing, she turned to look at her best friend. “I may or may not need your help with something,” she continued, taking Raven’s hand and leading her to the couch. 

“Girl, what did you do?” 

“We have to act like we’re a couple,” the words tumbled out over one another, coming out so fast that Raven had to struggle to catch all of them. 

“We have to...what now?”

“Act like we’re a couple?” Chelsea offered.

“Why do we have to act like we’re a couple?” Raven replied, shaking her head.

“Remember when you let Paisley assume Booker and Nia were dogs? Well, I let Principal Wentworth assume that we’re together,” Chelsea said. 

“What do you mean?” Raven asked, her eyes widening. 

“Well….”

“Chels…”

“Okay! I was picking the kids up from school and Principal Wentworth said that he wanted to see the entire family in his office in the morning. I tried to ask which family he wanted to see, Grayson’s or Baxter’s, but he said the whole family.”

“Okay. That’s not that bad. We can go up there in the morning, talk to him, tell him we are not together, and that’ll be the end of it,” Raven said brightly, smiling at the redhead beside her. Chelsea bit her thumbnail, something she’d done since high school when she was nervous. “There’s more, isn’t there?” Raven asked.

“He wants us to be sponsors for a GLBTQ group for the students,” Chelsea continued.

“What about Mr. Perez? Isn’t he more qualified to lead this thing since he’s actually a teacher?”

“Well, I offered him up, too, but apparently the club’s schedule would interfere with his pottery club.”

“What are we gonna do, Chels? We can’t act like a couple!”

“Why not? It’s not like we haven’t been getting stares and looks and whispers since high school. Seriously, Rae, how did you never notice?” Chelsea said. 

_ ‘I was always too busy noticing you,’ _ Raven thought before replying, “Can we really pull this off, Chels?”

Booker, Tess, Nia, and Levi walked in the door then, throwing bags by the door as they made their way to Booker’s room. 

“Bags up! Get your homework done before you play any video games! I mean it! Tess, you staying for dinner?” Raven asked.

“If you guys don’t mind….” Tess replied, slinging her bag back over her shoulder.

“Thank you guys!” Chelsea yelled at the four retreating backs with bags in tow. 

“Welcome, Mom!” four voices rang out. The two women looked at each other and giggled. They could definitely pull this off. 

“I guess we’re doing this,” Raven said softly. Chelsea nodded in agreement as they both leaned back on the couch, leaning against one another. It would be the easiest thing in the world. 


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Chelsea are summoned to the principal's office

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney. 
> 
> I decided before anyone commented that they liked this that I was going to continue it. That being said, this is a short chapter, I know. But I have all kinds of stealing glances and fluff planned for the next chapter, so hopefully that makes up for it? As always, I hope you enjoy, and leave kudos/comments if you want!

“Ms. Grayson. Ms. Baxter. Please have a seat,” Principal Wentworth began the next morning, indicating the hard plastic chairs on the other side of his desk. The kids had been excused to go to class, but the adults weren’t off the hook. 

“Look, Principal Wentworth, Chelsea and I aren’t….together,” Raven began, 

“We’re just really close friends,” Chelsea continued.

Looking between the women, Principal Wentworth folded his hands on his desk, pursing his lips as he considered his next words. “Chelsea, Levi is a gifted child. Ms. Baxter, Nia and Booker are...adequate. They’ve been running into some trouble lately,” the baritone said, his words calm and measured. Raven made a face at him calling the twin adequate, but then again, they had never really seen eye to eye. 

“What do the kids have to do with anything?” Chelsea asked, clenching her fists from taking Raven’s hand.

“They’ve been scheming. Doing things that they didn’t used to do. Other kids are talking.”

“The kids are always scheming. Have you met them? And if other kids are talking, it’s because they want to be like the twins,” Raven interjected.

“Ms. Baxter. I’m worried about their home structure. You seem to be at times over-involved and at times under-involved. It seems Chelsea is always volunteering for the two of you. You two need to get a handle on this and talk to your kids. The club will help.”

“Montell, Raven is an amazing mother, and is just as involved a parent as I am. You don’t have to volunteer for every school function to be an amazing parent. And even if we were together--”

“Which we’re not!” Raven cut in.

“The kids would be able to handle it maturely. We would talk to them. But it seems like our kids aren’t currently the problem,” Chelsea returned, continuing to speak as if Raven hadn’t interrupted her. Outside the door, Coach Spitz could be heard yelling at a crowd of kids to disperse. 

Half an hour later, the two women had gotten nowhere with Principal Wentworth, unless being sponsors for a school club counted for anything. “I can’t believe you finally caved,” Chelsea commented, flopping down on the couch.

“We weren’t gonna be able to leave until we agreed to it. And I wanted tacos,” Raven replied, taking a seat next to her best friend and pulling a taco out of a drive-through bag.

“I guess putting together the carnival could be fun….” Chelsea mused. “But he had no right to call us out the way that he did,” she continued, a frown etched on her face.

“Don’t worry about that, Chels. I figure all it will take is a night at the carnival and then both Mr. Perez  _ and _ Principal Wentworth will see that we’re not together,” Raven said around a mouthful of food. 

  
_ ‘I’m just worried that I’ll want us to be together,’ _ Chelsea worried, nibbling on her thumbnail while Raven devoured her food. They had a long afternoon ahead of them-the carnival was Friday night, and it was already Wednesday.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Chelsea begin planning the carnival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney. 
> 
> I'm sorry the chapters are short, but right now, it's really all I can manage with my depression. But I feel like there's enough fluff and substance in each chapter without leaving anything out. Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

Streamers and balloons littered the apartment floor, papers taking over the dining room table. “I’m sorry that the meeting didn’t go as planned,” Chelsea said, looking up from the schematics of the gym.

“I can’t believe that he suggested any queerness or gayness would be the cause of the kids not behaving,” Raven replied, tying off what felt like the hundredth balloon of the day. 

“Yeah. Or that we aren’t good parents if we aren’t straight,” Chelsea said. 

“Hey Chels?”

“Hmm?” 

"What if we proved to Principal Wentworth that we are good parents, regardless of what our sexuality is?" Raven mused.

“What do you mean?” Chelsea asked, streamers crinkling on the floor as she sank into a dining room chair. 

Raven rubbed her temples. “I mean, it’s not fair to judge someone’s parenting abilities on their heterosexuality. If we aren’t going to get Principal Wentworth to see that we’re good parents who live together but aren’t together, then we’ll just have to convince him that we’re good parents.”

“So we’re pretending to be together?” 

“This-this whole thing was your idea, Chels!” Raven exclaimed. “We’ve just gotta get the kids in on it.”

“Is this really a good idea, Rae?”

“The kids will be fine with it. Besides, now it’s about the principle of the whole thing,” Raven shrugged, turning back to blowing up balloons. 

Chelsea turned her attention back to the gym schematics, planning the layout of the carnival until Raven cleared her throat a few hours later. “Ready to get the kids?” she asked the redhead, taking a moment to observe her in action.  _ ‘Let’s hope we can pull this off,’ _ she thought to herself. 

Grabbing their jackets, the two women made their way to the school to pick up the kids. Grabbing the redhead’s hand as soon as they were out of the car, Raven began chatting about the carnival, going over everything that they had decided that day. Nearing the school, Chelsesa noticed that Principal Wentworth was outside, ushering the kids onto buses or into their parent’s cars. 

“I’m just so excited about the carnival, honey,” the redhead oozed, snuggling closer to her best friend.

“Oh, uh, me too, babe,” Raven replied, catching on. “I think the kids are really going to like it. Especially ours. I’m surprised they haven’t signed up to help already. They take after you so much,” she continued. It wasn’t a lie; every day Nia was becoming more and more like her Aunt Chelsea, and Booker inherited just how much the redhead cared for others. Smiling at her best friend, the brunette lowered her voice. “I mean it. You’re such a good influence on them, Chels. I don’t know where we would be without you.”

“Mom!” Three voices interrupted the moment, though Nia and Levi seemed to notice that  _ something _ was up. “Let’s go get Tess,” Nia suggested, yanking Booker behind her by his sweatshirt. Levi followed suit, flashing his mom a thumbs up on the way back inside. 

“What was that all about?” Raven asked, a laugh in her voice as she turned to Chelsea, eyes sparkling. Chelsea gulped. She had always noticed how breathtaking Raven could be, could always admit that she liked her as more than a friend, but to have other people notice…

“I-I don’t know,” the redhead managed to respond. 

Raven narrowed her eyes at her best friend but didn’t say anything. Instead, the brunette squeezed Chelsea’s hand and put on an exaggerated smile as she turned to Principal Wentworth. “Principal Wentworth! How are you?!” she asked. Chelsea shook her head slightly in confusion; she hadn’t heard Raven sound like that since high school. 

“I’m well. How are you ladies?” Principal Wentworth replied, his voice tight.

“We’re well. Just you know, picking up our little angels,” Raven replied. This time, it was Chelsea who squeezed Raven’s hand; the brunette was going to take it too far. 

  
“Speaking of the kids, here they come,” the redhead interrupted, her hand instinctively tightening in Raven’s. She didn’t know why she was nervous; nothing had changed.  _ ‘Only everything has changed,’ _ she thought to herself, smiling widely at the four pre-teens before her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rules are implemented for the kids, and a moment is interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney.
> 
> This chapter is by far my favorite. There's definitely a stolen moment or two, and the kid's reaction to everything is great. I hope you enjoy it!

The car ride home had been eventful, to say the least. Nia and Levi began asking questions before they even got to the car, wanting to know why all of a sudden their moms were  _ close _ . Booker either didn’t notice a difference or didn’t care; it was hard to tell which. Tess was quieter than usual, spending most of the ride staring out the window. “What’s wrong, Tess?” Raven asked, meeting the girl’s eyes in the backseat during a lull in the conversation.

“I just wish my parents were as happy as you and Ms. G,” Tess said quietly, unable to meet Raven’s eyes. 

The brunette cleared her throat; her and Chelsea hadn’t addressed the whole pretending-to-be-dating thing yet, preferring to wait until they were home. 

“Kids, we need to talk to you,” Chelsea began, twisting around in her seat to look at the children. 

“Is dad okay?” Nia asked, looking from one grownup to the other.

“Your father is fine, Nia. You talked to him this morning, remember?” Raven asked with a chuckle. Taking one hand off of the wheel, she grabbed Chelsea’s hand, an action that didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Mom?” Levi asked, scrunching his eyebrows together. 

“Okay. Raven and I are acting like a couple. But only in public,” Chelsea said quickly.

“Wait--I thought you were already together?” Tess asked.

“What-what would make you think that?” Raven asked, releasing Chelsea’s hand to adjust the rearview mirror.

“Well, you’re always acting like a couple. I mean, you’re always holding hands and stuff,” the brunette shrugged.

Chelsea blushed red and looked out the window, not wanting the kids to see. They had always acted that way around her, but it had always meant nothing. Now, the redhead wasn’t sure if she still wanted it to mean nothing. 

“Why are you acting like you’re together?” Booker asked, filling the growing silence.

“Aunt Chels decided to let Principal Wentworth think that we were together,” Raven said.

“Well, you let Paisley think that me and Nia were dogs,” Booker replied.

“That was different!”

“How was that different, mom? At least this is believable,” Nia cut in. Raven sighed. Double teamed by her own kids.

“It’s only until we can convince Mr. Perez and Principal Wentworth that we aren’t together,” Chelsea said, turning back to the kids. “Once we convince them that we aren’t dating, things will go back to normal,” she continued.

“Right. Until then, this ‘relationship’ is real,” Raven continued. The kids exchanged looks in the backseat; they could tell that rules were coming.

“Rules! No telling anyone about this. ANYONE. Including your father, twins. Everything is normal at home; we’re only going to be dating in public. No posting about the relationship--that goes for your friends too,” the designer continued. 

“So what do we call Aunt Chels in public?” Booker asked as they pulled up outside of the apartment building. 

“You can call her Chelsea or Aunt Chels, still, I guess,” Raven answered, shrugging as everyone piled out of the car and walked into the building.

“So really, nothing is changing,” Nia observed as the group made their way upstairs. 

“Yeah. I mean, you’ve always been close,” Levi pointed out as he waited for someone to unlock their door. 

Once inside, Raven set her bag down on the table and began making dinner while Chelsea herded the children off to Booker and Levi’s room to do their homework.

“Well, that went well,” Chelsea said a few minutes later, bouncing into the kitchen and smiling at her best friend. 

“Yeah. Yeah, it went well,” Raven repeated, allowing her gaze to travel over Chelsea, taking in the redhead’s pale features. 

“What? Do I have something on me?” Chelsea asked, frowning as she noticed Raven’s gaze.

“What? No. You look perfect. I mean--” Raven cleared her throat. “You look fine, Chels,” the designer tried again, turning back to fixing dinner, picking up a knife with a shaky hand. 

Chelsea’s hand closed over Raven’s, stilling the shaking movement. “I can help,” she said softly, electricity flowing through her body at the closeness. Raven could only nod in agreement.

“Mom? When’s dinner?” Levi asked, entering the kitchen. Chelsea quickly stepped away from Raven.

“Uh-uhm-” Chelsea began weakly.

“Dinner will be ready in 45 minutes. Unless you’re gonna help, get out of my kitchen,” Raven cut in. Levi nodded, retreating back to his bedroom.

“Do you still want to help?” Raven asked, her brown eyes burning as they met Chelsea’s. The redhead could only nod, making her way next to her best friend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chelsea and Raven have an interesting time at the school carnival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Raven's Home, That's So Raven, or Disney.
> 
> This chapter has been an idea I've been wanting to do for a while. I love the idea of Chelsea and Raven with a baby, and this felt like a good bonding spot for them because feelings are becoming noticed. I hope you enjoy!

Friday came far too soon for the two women. They arrived at the school promptly at 3:00 to set up for the carnival. It was going to be a long night, and the kids would be with them the entire time. Raven could already feel a headache coming on. “Do you remember when the kids were little and we could just….put them in a playpen while we did what we needed to do?” the designer asked as the pair made their way inside the school. Chelsea nodded her agreement, still chuckling as they met up with the kids. 

“Tess, Nia? What you got there?” the redhead asked a very tense looking Tess.

“Ms. Bouchard gave us this baby project for the weekend. But the carnival is tonight,” Nia sighed, hefting a baby carrier from one arm to the other.

“They still make you do that?” Raven chimed in. “Remember when we had to do that, Chels?” she continued, tapping her best friend on the arm.

“Your mom was so exhausted by the end of that weekend. She made us miss the turn in time for the baby and we had to keep it another weekend,” Chelsea explained.

“No, Chels. We had to keep it another weekend because you never turned on the logging feature,” Raven cut in. 

“We missed the deadline, Rae.”

“But it also didn’t log anything from the whole weekend.”

“Guys? How is that supposed to help us?” Nia cut in, looking from one woman to the next.

“What do you need help with?” Raven asked, glancing from one teenager to the other. She could tell something was up. 

“Well the carnival is tonight,” Tess spoke up. 

“Yeah. And we aren’t watching your baby,” Chelsea answered.

“But we can have an adult of our choosing watch the baby for up to five hours throughout the course of the weekend,” Nia protested.

“But here’s the thing about babysitting: Chels and I haven’t agreed to that,” Raven responded. The two women high fived over the girls heads, chuckling. 

“Since you two have the baby project and the boys don’t, you did earn a free pass from helping to set up the carnival,” Chelsea said, ushering the two girls to a far corner of the gym. 

A few hours and what felt like a million interruptions later, the gym was complete. Looking at their handiwork, the two women linked arms as volunteers began making their way inside. “Very well done, ladies,” Principal Wentworth said, coming to a stop before the two. 

“Thank you, Principal Wentworth,” Raven replied, beaming. She was oddly proud of everything that she and Chelsea had accomplished.  _ ‘Girl, get a grip! You’ve put together plenty of other things with her! Just not...acting like a couple. A couple that I want to be a part of,’ _ the designer thought to herself, her smile wavering. Clearing her throat, she excused herself, “I’m just going to go check on the girls.”

“Hey mom. Did you change your mind about the baby?” Nia asked hopefully as her mother approached. 

“Yeah, I’ll watch the baby. Go have fun,” Raven replied, a little more sullenly than intended.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to…” Tess offered before being elbowed in the side by a smiling Nia.

“I’m sure,” Raven smiled softly, holding her arms out for the baby. Rocking it slightly, she watched the two teens walk off, giggling with each other. She and Chelsea used to act that way, too…

“You caved on the baby thing?” Chelsea asked quietly, coming to a stop beside the designer.

Raven smiled wanly at the redhead. “Yeah. I figured I would at least let them have a good time. Besides, it’s a good night to be alone,” she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just….you know what? Never mind. It’s not important.”

“Rae. We’ve been friends for forever. You can talk to me,” Chelsea replied. 

“It’s just..I don’t even know where to begin or what to say,” Raven confessed. She wasn’t about to tell the woman that she was attracted to the truth. 

Taking the baby from the designer, the redhead took her best friend’s hand. “Rae. I think--” The baby began to cry, cutting her off. Handing her counterpart a bottle from the diaper bag in the corner, Raven huddled close as Chelsea fed the baby, ready to swoop in if needed.

“This brings back memories,” Chelsea said softly, brown eyes meeting brown.

“Yeah, it really does,” Raven replied, smiling softly at Chelsea. The gym disappeared around them; in that moment, they were the only two people on the planet--and the baby that wouldn’t stop crying. “I forgot how annoying this baby was,” she said, forcing herself back to the present. 

Chelsea cleared her throat, trying to clear her thoughts. “Remember how many times you dropped our baby?” she asked playfully.

Raven laughed, glad that the moment hadn’t ruined things. “I’m just glad that I didn’t do that with the twins,” she said. “Here, I’ll change it,” she continued, taking the baby from Chelsea and beginning to unsnap it’s onesie with one hand, holding it in the other.

“Raven!” Chelsea squeaked, taking the baby back and settling down on the gym floor with it, picking up on the changing process where the brunette had left off.

“Chels. It isn’t a real baby,” Raven pointed out, kneeling beside her. 

“I know, but I can’t help it,” Chelsea said, finishing with the change and passing the baby off to Raven to be burped.

“Hey Chels?” Raven asked later that evening, after the baby was safely in sleep mode. They were walking through the carnival hand in hand, making sure that everything was running smoothly. 

“Yeah?” Chelsea asked, laying her head on Raven’s shoulder. Taking care of the baby reminded her just how exhausting babies were.

“It’s supposed to storm tonight…” the designer hedged, slowing her pace. 

“Yes, we can camp in the living room on the pull-out,” Chelsea answered the unspoken question. Raven simply smiled at her best friend and pulled her closer, letting herself get swept away in the scent that was uniquely Chelsea. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids begin scheming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Disney, That's So Raven, or Raven's Home.
> 
> I love it when the kids scheme, and this chapter starts some pretty big schemes. The baby is still there, since the girls haven't turned it in yet (It's only Saturday; poor Booker and Levi). The one upside to having a crying baby is that it can make scheming a bit easier.

Tess and Nia were awakened early the next morning by the baby’s cries. While Tess stayed in Nia’s room and tried to keep the noise down, Nia crept into the living room for the diaper bag. Her mom and Chelsea were still asleep, curled up on the pull-out couch. Raven stirred slightly at the noise, snuggling closer to Chelsea and pulling the redhead closer to her. Nia smiled, grabbing the bag and heading back to her bedroom. There was a lot of planning to do. 

“We should do what?!” Booker asked quietly in disbelief. The adults were making breakfast together and the small things that they did for each other no longer went unnoticed. Chelsea uncapped vanilla extract, placing the small bottle beside the mixing bowl Raven was using, smiling at the designer. The brunette flashed a smile back at her best friend; everything felt exactly the same, but completely different.

“Get mom and Aunt Chels together. For real,” Nia replied just as quietly. Tess nodded in agreement as she rocked the baby, trying to get it to go back to sleep. 

“Why would we want to do that?” Booker asked. Three heads turned sharply to meet his gaze.

“Yo, your mom’s fake relationship is a better one than my parent’s real relationship,” Tess explained, accidentally hitting the baby in her exclamation. 

“Should we do something?” Chelsea asked in the kitchen, gesturing to the group in the living room, all four teenagers huddled over the wailing baby.

Raven smiled at her best friend; Chelsea couldn’t  _ not _ help. “I think they’ll be fine,” she replied, patting the redhead’s slender hand reassuringly. Putting the muffins in the oven, she turned back to her best friend. “Should we do something about whatever they’re scheming, though?” she asked quietly, leaning in to Chelsea so that the kids had no chance of hearing her.

Chelsea chuckled. “I may not be able to resist helping, but you can’t resist meddling,” she teased, looping an arm around the designer’s shoulders. “They’ll be fine, Rae. They’re our kids. How much trouble can they get in?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Raven asked in response, smiling at the many memories of their own mishaps.

Chelsea grimaced in response. The baby was still crying in the other room, the teenagers looking more and more panicked by the second. Chelsea couldn’t help herself any longer; unwinding her arm from the designer’s shoulders, the redhead joined the quartet in the living room. 

Talking quietly enough that the brunette couldn’t hear them in the kitchen, Chelsea walked the teenagers through soothing a baby that just didn’t want to be soothed. Raven smiled to herself; Nia was paying attention to everything that the redhead was saying while Tess was trying it out on the baby. The boys simply looked baffled. The oven dinged, and the designer went to retrieve breakfast.

Chelsea made her way back to the kitchen, a frown etched on her face. “What happened?” Raven asked, narrowing her eyes in the general direction of the kids.

“The kids want to set us up,” Chelsea replied.

“With each other?!” 

“No, other people.” Raven assessed the pale features of the woman in front of her. Chelsea wasn’t kidding.

Joining the group in the living room, Raven caught a few words of a conversation that the kids were clearly hoping was private. Clearing her throat loudly, she smiled as all four teenagers jumped. “Mom! How-how long you been standin’ there?” Booker asked nervously.

“Not nearly long enough, judging from your faces,” Raven retorted. “What’s all this about you trying to set me and Aunt Chels up?” she continued.

“With other people!” Levi exclaimed loudly. The designer squinted at him, and he shrunk back beside Booker.

“Nia, what’s going on?”

“We just think that maybe it’s time you and Aunt Chels start dating,” the girl shrugged.

“Other people!” Booker burst out with a slight chuckle.

“Does it bother you guys that Aunt Chels and I are pretending to be a couple in public?” Raven asked seriously, her gaze going from face to face.

“Really, it’s like nothing’s changed,” Tess spoke up.

“You-you don’t live here,” the brunette reminded her.

“But I’m over here enough that I basically do,” Tess responded. Raven nodded in agreement, turning back to the boys.

“Like Tess said, it’s like nothing has really changed. You and my mom have always been close,” Levi said, being the voice of reason once again.

“I just want you to be happy,” Booker replied, smiling sweetly at his mother. “Are the muffins cool yet?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Go help yourselves. Chels! Bre-” Raven began, cutting herself off when the redhead handed her a muffin, one for herself already in her hand, a bite taken out of it.

“Sorry Rae, I got hungry,” she said, taking another bite. Raven simply smiled at her best friend as she took a bite of her own muffin.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zeena and Sienna confront Nia and Tess about Raven and Chelsea dating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all dialogue, but it's so important because it sets up the kiss that everyone wants (including me!). So sorry, not sorry? Also, I love how much Tess defends Raven and Chelsea in this chapter.

Tess and Nia were more than relieve on Monday when they turned their baby back in. Their good mood was dampered, however, when they saw Zeena rounding a corner. 

“Nia,” the curly-haired girl said cooly.

“Zeena,” Nia replied, just as cooly.

“I heard your mom and her best friend are dating,” Zeena said as Sienna joined her.

“Yeah, I heard that they’re the reason you and Booker are so….you and Booker,” the blonde cut in. 

Tess scoffed at the pair before them. “Yeah, right. Nia and Booker are themselves all on their own,” she defended.

“Besides, does it matter if my mom and Chelsea are dating?” Nia asked, shooting her best friend a look. 

Zeena scoffed. “It’s social suicide, but whatever,” she answered, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Ms. B and Ms. G are happy together,” Tess answered defensively.

“Well, I don’t think they’re really dating,” Sienna said cooly.

“What do you mean?” Nia asked nervously. Her and Tess exchanged glances as they waited on an answer from the other girls.

“Well, we’ve never seen them kiss. If they were a  _ real _ couple, they would kiss in public,” she retorted.

“My mom’s very private with her life,” Nia retorted.

“Well, I’m just saying, if I was in a couple, I would kiss every chance I got,” Sienna replied, adjusting her backpack. 

“Anyways, the point is, we don’t believe it. And don’t say that the carnival on Friday counted; they act like that all the time,” Zeena said. “They kiss in public, or we tell everyone that they’re not actually together. Toodles!” With that, the two girls bounced off, leaving a fuming Nia behind.

“Zeena!” she muttered under her breath before pulling out her phone.  _ Don’t be mad, don’t be mad, don’t be-- _ “Hey mom!” she said cheerfully.

On the other end of the line, Raven narrowed her eyes. Nia was entirely too happy to be calling this early and not need something. “What do you need?” she asked suspiciously, making eye contact with Chelsea and motioning her over to the couch. As the pair sat down, she turned the phone’s speaker on.

“--kiss in public?” Nia’s voice floated out.

“We need to do what now?” Chelsea squeaked.

“Zeena and Sienna said that unless you kiss in public, she’ll tell everyone that you’re not together,” Nia clarified, closing her eyes.

“Did you tell her that’s not what defines a relationship?” Raven asked.

“Yeah, but she didn’t believe me. Or Tess.”

“Really, who can she tell?” Chelsea asked. 

“Her dad is on the board of education. And Sienna was with her,” Tess spoke up.

“Okay. Well what about the carnival?” Raven tried.

“They said that doesn’t count because that’s how you always act,” Nia sighed.

Raven and Chelsea exchanged looks. “What do you mean, that’s how we always act?” the brunette asked.

“Mom, you and Aunt Chels are really affectionate,” Nia pointed out.

“Well, everyone’s close with their bestie,” Raven said.

“Not the way you and Ms. G are,” Tess cut in. 

“Okay, so like, what? A peck on the cheek when we come get you at school today?”

“That should work,” Nia answered, shrugging. Disconnecting the call, the teenager turned to her best friend. “What if this doesn’t work?” she worried.

“Nia, it’ll work. Trust me,” Tess said confidently. 

“Why are we trusting Tess?” Booker asked, joining the group. After filling the boys in on the latest development, the quartet exchanged looks before heading off to class. Their plan may work yet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Chelsea kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I've updated this! Work got super busy, and I've been adjusting to some new medication, which has affected my creativity. But I hope you like this chapter, even if it is super short and probably not my best. But you finally get your kiss, and I think that makes up for it!

“Remember the plan,” Raven said as they drove to pick up the kids.

“Just a peck on the cheek, I know,” Chelsea replied. “We’ve been over this a thousand times, Rae.” 

Calling Nia on speaker, the pair waited for Nia to answer. “On the lips, Nia,” they overheard Zeena say on the other line. Sharing a look, they waited for Nia’s answer. 

“Why does it have on the lips?” Nia asked inside the building.

Sienna flipped her hair over her shoulder. “When was the last time you saw a couple NOT kiss on the lips?” she asked. 

Nia sighed. “Fine. A peck on the lips.”

“It’s got to be at least 3 seconds long or it’s staged,” Zeena shot back with a shrug.

“Fine,” Tess replied, shooting the other girls a look.

Hanging up the phone in the car, Raven and Chelsea shared a look. “Three seconds?” the designer asked, her throat suddenly dry. She could do a peck on the cheek, or even the lips, no problem. 

“We don’t have a choice,” Chelsea agreed, clearing her throat. Climbing out of the car, the women instinctively took one another’s hand. 

The best friends scanned the crowd for Zeena and Sienna, wanting to make sure that the two girls saw them. Turning Chelsea toward her, Raven met her gaze. Apprehension was there, but there was something else, too...something that Raven couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

Chelsea tucked a stray piece of Raven’s hair behind her ear, smiling nervously at her best friend, the woman she’d had a crush on since high school. Stroking the designer’s cheek with her thumb, the pair found themselves closing the distance between them. Lips met and eyes closed. Chelsea’s arms looped around Raven’s neck and Raven’s hands went to the redhead’s hips. The kiss was soft, almost like coming home.

A loud ‘ahem’ broke the kiss and they pulled apart, eyes wide as the best friends looked at each other. “I think you proved your point,” Nia said. Glancing around, Raven saw that glances were thrown their way, some people outright staring.

“Right. Let’s go, kids,” she replied, her voice shaky.

Safely in the car, Nia approached the subject first. “So what  _ was _ that?” she asked.

“A fake kiss. Like you said,” Chelsea replied, staring straight ahead. Her head was spinning, and she knew if she looked at Raven, she would end up telling the brunette how she really felt.

“That didn’t look like a fake kiss,” Levi said.

“How do you even know what a kiss looks like?” Tess asked.

“I’ve seen people kiss before, Tess. And I watched a lot of old movies,” he replied.

Chuckling, Raven caught Booker’s eye in the backseat. “You’re awfully quiet,” she observed.

“I agree with Levi. I don’t think it was a fake kiss,” he said. Raven recognized the look on his face; it was the same look that used to be on her, Eddie, and Chelsea’s faces whenever they were plotting something big.

“What are you kids up to?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. The teenagers in the backseat for their part, tried to look innocent. 

“What do you mean?” Nia asked, her voice as calm as she could keep it. They pulled up to the apartment just then, and Chelsea was out of the car before Raven had a chance to respond. 

Looking worriedly at the kids, she made a decision. “You guys go straight to the roof. Don’t stop at the apartment to drop off bags. I mean it. I’m going to talk to your Aunt Chels. I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready,” she said quickly, ushering everyone out of the car and up the stairs.

Entering the apartment, Raven found Chelsea in their bedroom, sitting on her bed, hugging a pillow to her stomach. “Can I come in?” she asked softly. Chelsea just nodded, scooting over on the bed so that Raven could join her. Climbing on the bed beside her best friend, she gathered Chelsea in her arms, allowing the redhead to spill the tears that had been threatening to fall the entire ride home. “Talk to me,” she murmured.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven tries to cheer Chelsea up, but Chelsea has a better idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Disney, That's So Raven, or Raven's Home; I just like playing with the characters.
> 
> I am SO SORRY that it's been almost A YEAR since this has been updated. There has been so much going on in my life, from divorce to surgery to well....it seems like everything. But I hope that you'll stick with me as I get going again!

Chelsea simply shook her head. She didn’t know what she would say, even if she wanted to talk. 

“Is this about dating other people?” Raven’s voice was soft, although the only thing she could think about was the kiss from before.

Chelsea merely shrugged. That was part of it, absolutely, but there was also the kiss. There was the kiss that was supposed to be a fake kiss, but was anything but. “Rae….” she hedged slowly, trying to control her breathing.

The brunette pulled the redhead close, hoping that her best friend couldn’t hear the thumping of her heart. “We’re not going to date anyone. We aren’t even dating,” she reminded Chelsea.

“That’s a part of it, but that’s not all,” Chelsea replied. Raven had never heard her sound so miserable, and she could feel her heart hurting for her best friend. “Can we just….not talk about it tonight?” Chelsea pleaded.

Raven nodded; a distraction would probably be good for both of them. “What did you have in mind?” she asked, forcing a smile on her face. 

A sudden grin overcame the redhead. “We’re supposed to be dating, right? What if we went on a ‘date’?” she asked, air quoting the word date. The last thing she wanted was for Raven to get the wrong idea and ruin a lifelong friendship. 

“Who’s gonna watch the kids? You know they can’t stay home by themselves,” Raven objected, remembering the last time they went out to The Vault. 

Chelsea bit her lip; she hadn’t thought of that. She had just wanted a night out, kid free, with her best friend, where she could pretend that everything was normal. She quickly went through the list of people that might watch the kids: Devon was in Texas, and even if he wasn’t, he could barely handle the twins; Victor and Tanya were in San Francisco; her parents were on some kind of retreat; and Cory-- “What about Cory?” she asked.

Raven thought about it. He and his girlfriend were always talking about kids; four would be plenty of practice for them. The worst he could do was say no, after all. Grabbing her phone, she began texting furiously. “I hope this works,” she said, looking up from the phone to Chelsea, sharing a smile with the other woman.


End file.
